{Our New Premiere Product}

Over the past revamp of my business, I searched far and wide for the perfect product to offer in conjunction with a client's images. I stumbled upon Seldex, a company in Australia and fell in love with their quality products.

When it comes to your session or wedding, you'll want a classy way to present these beautiful images to your friends and family. This is why I'm now offering Seldex Image Portfolio Boxes.

The outside is made of silk material and is completely customizable. You can pick it in your wedding colors, have a picture on the front (and mix WITH wedding colors!), write whatever you want, etc. This product can be completely you. Inside, you can have up to 20 matted images, to show off your most favorite images from your session/wedding. They can be placed into frames, placed on shelves or kept inside the false book.

I adore the quality of this product and wanted to offer it as a great option. Yes, we offer beautiful and customized albums, but I really believe in this product. I believe in the quality and versatility of it!

If you're curious to know how it feels and looks in your hands, let's set up a consultation and let you see it!

{My editing style}

As most photographers are, I'm often asked how much editing I do on photos. It's actually been a gradual process and there really isn't a real answer, as each image is unique. When I first started in 2009, with my simple XSI, I thought a real photograph is created inside the camera, which is true, to an extent. The more studying I did, the more I realized that my favorite photographers were *gasp* editing their images! It honestly blew me away and forced me to research which editing program to get.

I personally use actions from Florabella and Totally Rad but choose to change my opacity and percentages to my liking. Florabella has a beautiful Classic Workflow Action Set that rocks my world and changed how I produced my images.

This is the reason I don't let clients "chimp" during the session, because their images will be different when they finally see the finished product. I always shoot with editing in mind, considering exactly how I want the finished photo to look like. That's why it's sooooo important to know how your editing style is going to be, because if you shoot too dark of a shot, you better be shooting in RAW or else your image will never be completely recoverable!

I'm still a purist at heart and only use editing as a way to get a "punch" in my photos, maybe add a little sunlight, erase a bride's blemishes, but I usually don't use "liquify" or extreme skin smoother, because I believe everyone is beautiful in their own way. Who am I to say there is such thing as too much back cleavage?

Do you use actions? If so, did you create them yourself or did you buy them?

{Bridal Portraits in Hawaii}

In my spare time, I do sessions that fit in my vision, abilities and style. I love brides, I love unique locations and the train station was a beautiful setting. Which is why I dressed my sister up as a bride and dragged her to the train station! I'm a natural light photographer, but working on artificial lighting to please a range of clients. Hope you like!

{Pinned: Party Ideas!}

Day 11 of Inspiration is a doozy....it'll keep you busy, looking through all of these ideas! Dozens of individual party ideas and I am positive I will show these ideas to friends and clients, with hopes to work with people willing to do some awesome inspired party ideas! I love the teen party or the Vintage Age One birthday party! If you've been searching for ideas, this is the place for you!

The Pin
The Website!

{Pinned: Photo Moment}

If you have a little girl and want to do a photo shoot similar to this, let me know and we will do it for FREE. I thought this was a genius idea, taken by photographer Tilly Lish. How many little girls do this? I know I did!


The Pin
Tilly Lish's Site

{Shereen's Event Planner Portraits} | Hawaii Wedding Planner

Shereen runs an event planning business here in Oahu, as well as California. It's called Ever After Events, a company with a vintage anthropology feel. It's a dream session for me, because she came with bags of props and her great-grandmother's vintage chair, which I adored. We found one another networking, had a lunch together and *BAM*, we fell in love with each others companies.

She's been in the industry for a hot minute, so if you need full or partial planning for your event, give her a call and tell her I sent you! She's giving all people sent by me a $100 credit towards services, so what do you have to lose?

Makeup done by Maile Meno
Jewlery provided by Tonya Torres at Stella & Dot

{Pinned: Organization}

Oh my goodness. I love organization but like I said yesterday, I'm not crafty enough sometimes but let me say...the following pinned item is easy. In fact, go to the originating website and see the FABULOUS organization ideas. I've decided that when I get a little extra money, I'm making a cord box, a business card box out of a Altoids box and those trash bag dispensers....oh wow...there are no words!

The Pin

The Genius Link

{Pinned: Burning Calories!}

If you're anything like most of the human race, you've decided this is the year you're going to lose a couple pounds (and you will!!!). I personally love to work out and I love to feel good! I plan on following the below workout to burn some extra calories so I can, *ahem*, enjoy more food. The below workout is so amazing, you can do it anywhere! Watch a movie when you do it! Enjoy!

The Pin

{Pinned: Your own Herb Garden!}

I love cooking! I'm not much of a food photographer but I'm a HUGE foodie and a fan of fresh products in my meals, which is why I thought to share this idea with you! You can grow your own herbs in a vintage and unique way! I'm not an incredibly crafty person (lack of motivation rather then talent haha) but I hope this can help those who made a resolution to be more healthy this year!

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How to do it!

{Pinned: Hors d'oeuvres!}

I love creative people and I literally dream of creative clients, because they are the type I want to work with! I think a bride who is willing to forgo the fancy foods at her wedding for mini hotdogs and doughnut shooters....is stupendous. When I saw this on Pinterest, I became very very hungry! Those teeny tiny pancakes on a tooth pick are ADORABLE. I could eat eleven of those!


The Pin

{Pinned: Deliciousness}

I love carbs. I'm a total carbaholic. One of my favorite meals to cook is homemade mac n' cheese. When I saw this, I was very excited! I love cupcakes, as proven the other day, so when given the opportunity to make CUPCAKE MAC N' CHEESE? Heck yeah! I just made mac n' cheese on Monday, so I'll have to wait a couple weeks but hopefully it will be just as good.

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Because I love mac n' cheese that much, I looked up FRIED macaroni and cheese. I've had this before and really, it's a party in your mouth.


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{Joanna's Images}

Few clients actually influence how I do business, but Joanna did just that. She introduced me to a blog by Sue Bryce, a famous glamour photographer in Australia. The blog is filled with inspiration, how-to's and beautiful images, motivating me to change how I work and shoot. So when I finally met Joanna, it was so much fun shooting such a gorgeous human being! I had a great time walking around Chinatown with her and look forward to working with her again!

{Pinned: Perfect Beach Hair}

I want curly hair. Alas, I'm stuck with hair that is neither curly or straight, but a mismanaged flop of whatever it feels like in the morning. There are curls...sometimes. It's straight..sometimes. Very frustrating for a girl who wishes she woke up perfect in the morning! :) I found this beautiful tutorial for wonderful beach curls and thought to share with you! If you try it, let me know how it goes!

The Pin

{Pinned: Mustaches}

Those who know me, know I'm obsessed with mustaches. I don't know why, I just am. I have the finger tattoo to prove it! So when I saw this on Pinterest....well I just KNEW that you, as my crony, would love to know that your favorite dessert, the cupcake, can now be adorned with a mustache. Please, if you are inspired to make this.....SHOW ME!!!!!


The Pin

{Pinned: Be Different}

It's four days into the New Year and well, I don't know where the year has gone as of yet! It's already four days into 2012!!!

So when tackling the rest of the week, think about how to be different...how to shine.

The Pin

{Pinned: Amelia Lyon}

I decided that I was going to find inspiration to start the New Year! When trying to figure out how to do so, I decided to finally join Pinterest. Then I decided to do 12 Days of Inspiration, in celebration of 2012. Some say the world will end and if it does, I will leave with ideas in my head!

Hopefully the next 12 days can cheer you up and keep you motivated to stick with those resolutions!

The first gem is a photo taken by photographer Amelia Lyon. I found her work and fell in love! I looked over her blog and frankly, her editing skills and candid skills are stunning. She uses tilt shift in her work, which makes me adore her even more! Complete motivation to do the same! Check her out!

The Pin.

{A touching letter}

A photographer posted this on her blog, not wanting to share how expensive she is but to show that capturing memories is vital to our everyday life. Memories last for a lifetime, manicures do not. Freezing the moments of your child's youth, the excitement of an engagement, the massive steps of a wedding...all deserve someone who truly cares about capturing those special times.

http://fototails.wordpress.com/2012/01/02/a-letter-on-my-doorstep-portraits-are-more-than-paper/

(Here is the excerpt from the whole blog)

"July 2nd, 2011

Jeanine -

Today I am writing for a couple of reasons. I have some quiet time at the moment and need to get a couple of things off my mind. I will leave this for my husband to deliver to you when he is ready.

You photographed my wedding, you photographed my first pregnancy and my first baby. I contacted you awhile back to photograph my 2nd child and family. After getting prices and realizing I would want all of the pictures as we love your work – I decided against spending $500+ – which is what I normally spend for portraits and prints with you.. Please know it is not because I don’t value your amazing eye, or how much we love the experience.

That week that I decided to NOT do a session with you, this is how I spent some money.

On Sunday I called and cancelled our session. Monday I went out and got my hair cut ($39+tip), and colored ($65), Thursday I had my nails done ($24), my family went out to dinner at a somewhat expensive restaurant for no particular reason costing us $79 + tip. This was just 4 days since canceling our session, already totaling over $200 for un necessary things. My nails only lasted about 2 weeks, my hair is gone, and seven weeks passed when I got the phone call from our doctor. It was not something I expected and the cancer has spread very quickly. I will be leaving my husband, my 6 year old girl and my now 2 year old – not by choice. It is very hard for me to talk about it which is why I need to write you.

I watch your Facebook page and your posts about the value of a photo and if I could give back all of those things that I purchased this few weeks after I cancelled my session with you, knowing what I know now, and have that session, well… I would do it in a heartbeat.

Now my time is done and there are no more chances for me. The next time someone cancels a session – my wish is that you forward this letter to them. Time is fragile, it is gone before you know you had it. If you charged $200 for one print it wouldn’t be enough for what it is actually worth. I cringe to think that my priorities were a manicure over a memory to pass onto my babies and husband.

My love and thanks for what you have given us from past photos. I am so sorry that I did not see it as more than paper until now."

Karen L.